There's no professional licensing or training required of those who paint ships and vessels, such as mobile offshore drilling units, that work to extract the oil from offshore oil fields. The shipyards that do this work, however, require the marine painter to have evidence of experience, in the form of a Able Seaman endorsement on a mariner's document or credential. The Department of Homeland Security requires the painter to hold a Transportation Worker Identification Card, as well, to gain access to the shipyard.

The Mariner's Credential

The first step is to get a mariner's credential from the U.S. Coast Guard. Unlike the military, the mariner's credential is the government document issued to commercial, civilian seamen. It allows you to work aboard commercial vessels, such as oil field supply boats, oceangoing tugs or ships. As an entry-level -- or "ordinary" -- seaman, you'll learn the basics of seamanship and vessel maintenance, such as painting. You undergo no tests, although you must submit to a full background investigation of your driving records and a check of your criminal history, conducted by the FBI. The existence of criminal record or a history of driving drunk may cause rejection of your application.

Transportation Worker Identification Card

When you apply for a merchant mariners' credential, you also must apply for a Transportation Worker Identification Card, or TWIC. Issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration, the TWIC ensures your name, Social Security number and fingerprints do not match those of anyone on the TSA list of terrorists. Should any factor match, you will be denied the TWIC, pending proof that you are not the terrorist named on the TSA list. The TWIC, necessary to gain entry to the shipyard, also is checked against other government databases to find those who have arrest warrants outstanding and who owe child support. Failure to obtain a TWIC -- even if it's because you're unable to pay the registration fee -- bars you from working in a shipyard and from gaining the seagoing experience required to become a journeyman marine painter.

The TWIC Application Process

You can pre-enroll online or by telephone and make the appointment required for the full process of enrollment. In pre-enrollment, you can provide your name and other identifying information, choose the location at which you wish to enroll and set your enrollment appointment. You're required to present "acceptable documentation" of your identity. Then, you must complete the TWIC disclosure form and pay the application fee, which is $102.25 as of March 2012. You must then provide a full set of fingerprints and have your official photograph taken. Your TWIC, if approved, will be issued in six to eight weeks, but you will receive an email or phone call as soon as the TSA reaches a decision.

The Able Seaman Endorsement

Once you have attained six months' experience as an ordinary seaman, you may take the test for the "Able Seaman - Special" endorsement. The written test covers basic seamanship, basic firefighting, survival and safety. The practical part of the examination requires you to tie eight knots of the examiner's choosing. The knots are selected from a list of 26 knots thought to be essential to a mariner. Tying them properly, in a seamanlike manner, proves to the examiner that you have the basic skills required to be awarded an endorsement as an able seaman.

About the Author

Will Charpentier is a writer who specializes in boating and maritime subjects. A retired ship captain, Charpentier holds a doctorate in applied ocean science and engineering. He is also a certified marine technician and the author of a popular text on writing local history.